BFF? 2: Wicked WITCHes
by KaNdRaKaRgrl
Summary: When Sheffield Institute announces that its next production will be of the musical Wicked, will it be Irma's chance to reclaim her post as the guardian of water? Or will everything just fall apart? Sequel to BFF?
1. You're Kidding, Right?

**Hey everybody! It's SEQUEL TIME! YAY! Thanks to Sokai, harryrulesmyworld, topazchick08, JayxKay, and MysteriousReviewer for reviewing the last chapter of BFF? So to reward you, here's chapter one of the lovely sequel! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H. End of story. Don't sue me.**

Chapter 1

You're Kidding…Right?

"C'mon, Irma, it's not _that _bad. Lots of people do this, and they don't have a problem with it."

"Well _they _aren't the ones that have to worry about them falling out and showing the world my mutant eyes!"

"Irma, they're CONTACTS, not a hungry pack of lurdens that want to rip your limbs off and have them for a snack at one of Phobos's tea parties!" Cornelia grabbed the newly-bought box of turquoise contact lenses, perched one on the tip of her finger, and held Irma's right open while Taranee, Will and Hay Lin struggled to hold the thrashing girl to a chair.

"You'd think we were forcing her into summer school with Mr. Collins," Will groaned as Irma started resorting to using her nice sharp nails to try and get free.

"Cornelia, would you hurry up? Some of us _would_ like to live to see tomorrow," Hay Lin shouted over Irma's screams of bloody murder.

"What do you mean? I'm already done."

Cornelia held a mirror in front of Irma's face, waiting for her to comment on the job she'd done. The earth girl thought she had done an excellent job, if she did say so herself. Irma's eyes looked like they always had, a turquoise blue that held the essence of the sea…but something was missing, that little sparkle that defined what everyone had never known about her. It had gone away with her powers, back in Candracar where they didn't belong.

Irma smiled a little when she saw them, accepting that maybe her secret was safe for the time being. But as Cornelia gazed at her from behind the mirror, she couldn't help but wonder how much things would change. Irma had always been the spark of life that kept the group from completely falling into the dead seriousness of their situations. Now, half of her had been ripped away, and Cornelia could honestly say she was afraid that her bubbly personality had been swept off with it. Sure, Irma was the one that hit Cornelia's short-fuse temper more often than not, but the fun of their arguments had always been the ex-water girl's angry retorts, not her just sitting there and taking the earth girl's insults, like Cornelia was afraid would happen now.

"As much as it pains me to say it, you did a good job, Corny." The girls breathed a sigh of relief at Irma's satisfaction. Now there was only one thing left to sort out…

"So," Taranee began, trying to sound as conversational as she could. "Irma, what are you going to do about…well, you know…"

"You mean the _test_?" Taranee's eyes widened a little to hear Irma speak of it so bluntly. "You can say it, Taranee. I won't send a tidal wave after you…not that I can anymore…"

"Irma," Will said, kneeling down so she was looking her in the eye. "You still have a chance. It might not happen overnight but still…"

"Don't you get it Will? The Oracle gave me the one task he knew full well I couldn't do. He wanted to make it hard, but instead…he made it impossible."

_Flashback_

"_Irma Lair, in order to reclaim your post as the guardian of water, you must…discover love."_

_Irma just stood there for a minute. All she could manage to say was, "You're kidding…right?"_

_The Oracle shook his head. "No, guardian, I am fully serious. This is the task that the Council has chosen for you, and it is the only chance you will be able to take to get your powers back."_

"_Can't you have me eat live bugs or survive a date with Phobos or something?" Irma cried. "I can't 'discover love!'_ _I'm the most romance challenged person this side of our dimension! The closest to love I have is the unrequited one of Martin Tubbs! And there is no way in Metamoor that I'll be playing smoochy-smoochy to him!"_

"_I understand your frustration, but did you expect your task to be easy? Did you really expect that after willingly giving your powers away, they would willingly just up and come back to you? They need you to prove your worth. Since you have abused them in the past to get to what you thought was true love, but fell through all the time, they challenge you now to find what you shamelessly used them for, only to fail. They challenge you to discover what love truly is."_

"_And if I can't do it?" Irma asked in a whisper._

"_You have your lifetime to try," the Oracle said. "But should you choose to give up, you may both remain on Earth knowing that you can never regain your power…or you can come into the service of Candracar and leave your life on Earth behind. You will not regain your powers, but…it's something to think about." _

_And before Irma could speak out against the outrageousness of her situation, the Oracle spoke again. "Best of luck to you, Irma. May your Heart guide you in your quest."_

_And those were his last words as he sent the girls crashing back to Earth._

_End Flashback_

"Irma, you're a great girl. There are a lot of guys that would want to go out with you."

"But none that would ever love me," Irma murmured. Hay Lin opened her mouth, but Irma just shook her head. "C'mon," she said, standing up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "We're gonna be late for school." The four remaining guardians stood silent for a second and then started to walk along after her, the aftermath that was change hanging heavily around their hearts.

**Okay, so that wasn't that great of a chapter, but it answered your question, didn't it? I promise, the next one will be a MILLION times better. So if you want to see it, hit that magic GO button & I'll update when this gets 5 reviews!**


	2. Guess What I Did?

**Hey everybody! Thank to Periphery for reviewing & guessing what'll happen. You'll just have to wait & see is all I have to say. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H. or Wicked.**

Chapter 2

Guess What I Did?

The shrill ring of the bell signaling the end of fifth period cut through the silence of Hay Lin's World History 1 class like a knife, cueing the students to scramble out into the hallways like a pack of wild…well, students…and flock over to the nearest gossip hound, preferably Cornelia, to jolt their brains out of near-deadness caused by Mr. Collins getting way too into his lecture on how Tycho Brahe died after drinking a glass of wine.

The wiry little wind girl wandered over to her locker, which was conveniently right outside of the auditorium. As she spun the lock around to her combination, she couldn't help but glance over at the drama club's bulletin board, where Ms. Kelly had just yesterday tacked up the announcement of this year's spring musical.

_Wow, they're doing Wicked_, Hay Lin thought, pulling out her Spanish book. She read over the flyer, taking out her books one at a time and not paying attention as they fell one by one, missing her open backpack by a mile. _This is TOTALLY something we should all sign up for! _Her hand grasped the ballpoint pen hanging next to sign up sheet, but as she pressed the tip of it to the paper, she remembered how well the girls had taken it when she'd told them she'd signed them all up to be in her production of _The Four Dragons. _

_Well, I could always say I did it to help lift Irma out of her depression. Yeah, that'll work! _The pen moved across line after line as she moved from W to H with amazing speed. _Now, _she thought, kicking her locker shut and turning to set off for the cafeteria, _when to tell them…maybe the day of auditions…yeah that'll work! Then they can't back out…I think…hmm… maybe lunch would work out better…_

**GUESSWHATIDIDGUESSWHATIDIDGUESSWHATIDIDGUESSWHATIDIDGUESSWHATIDID**

"Does this look undercooked to you?"

"Taranee, you've been asking us the same question every single day for the past semester. If you don't like the caf food, then bring your own lunch!"

"Or you could always just grill it a little yourself," Will teased, spearing some rigatoni that Taranee obviously wasn't going to touch with a two-foot pole anytime soon.

The fire girl shot her best friend a glare. "You really _wouldn't _care if the world found out about us, would you?"

"What, I'm not allowed to joke around anymore?"

"Guys! You'll never guess what I did!" Hay Lin skipped up to the rest of the group, saving Will and Taranee from awkward silence.

"You finally asked Eric out?" Cornelia asked, smiling as a deep pink blush crept up into Hay Lin's face.

"_No,_" she said, trying to squash the excitement of the thought from her mind. "Even better! I signed us all up for the spring musical!"

All four girls froze. Will dropped her fork, Taranee's eyes went as wide as her glasses, Cornelia's narrowed until you could barely see them peeking out from underneath her glare, and Irma…well, Irma didn't react at all. You'd think Hay Lin hadn't said anything from the way she just kept poking at her salad, not one bite coming close to meeting her mouth.

"Hay Lin," Cornelia said as calmly as she could, standing up and facing the now terrified girl who'd had a smile on her face two seconds earlier. "Remember that little talk we had about thinking before doing after you signed us up for _The Four Dragons?_"

"Um, yeah, why?" Hay Lin asked innocently, taking a seat next to Irma and opening up a container of Chinese takeout.

"Well, DID YOU HAPPEN TO HEAR ANY OF IT?" Cornelia shouted, earning the attention of about half the Sheffield student population.

"I just thought it'd be fun," Hay Lin squeaked under Cornelia's practically patented loom of terror. "And, you know, good for all of us," she added, jerking a thumb toward Irma, who was too busy trying hard not to look at the huge water bottle vending machine that laid right in her line of vision, reminding her of what she could no longer control.

"But you _know _I don't do performing in front of people," Taranee pointed out. "Couldn't you have left me out of this one?"

"Sweetie, there's this wonderful little thing called the ensemble for those that feel the need to avoid the spotlight," Cornelia replied. "So, care to enlighten us as to what show we're apparently trying out for?"

"_Wicked,_" Hay Lin answered, happy that at least someone was warming up to the idea.

"I guess that's not so bad. We've already got the perfect Glinda," Will said, elbowing Cornelia.

"I am SO not that ditzy."

"Uh huh," their leader replied, whipping out her cell phone. "Think Matt will give me voice lessons?"

"If you can get him to do it before Saturday," Hay Lin answered. "And here I thought you guys wanted me to think before I did."

"Well," Will said, pulling out her cell phone and punching in Matt's number. "Maybe it will be a good thing. For all of us," she added, winking before hitting SEND. "Besides, it couldn't hurt to just audition."

And so while Will planned her tutoring sessions and Cornelia attempted to instantly cure Taranee of her stage fright, Hay Lin turned to Irma, who hadn't said two words since she'd sat down. "Irma, what do you think? You haven't exactly crusaded to have me thrown to snake-man and his army for signing you up."

Irma looked up from her pile of lettuce and somehow got a little smile on her face. "Well, I did do a pretty good job as the red dragon last time, didn't I? Hmm…think green skin would suit me?"

"Sure. And if it doesn't wear off after the performance, you can be…asparagus woman!"

"Oh yeah," Irma said. "I can see it now. Look, down on your dinner plate! Its peas…its broccoli…no, it's asparagus woman! Repulsing kids with a single serving!"

Hay Lin giggled. Her friend was coming back. _And no matter what it takes, _she thought, _I'll make sure she stays here._

**Next chapter is their auditions. R&R please!**


	3. I Know This Feeling

**Hey everybody! Thanks to JayxKay, harryrulesmyworld, Sokai, strayphoenix, topazchick08 and MysteriousReviewer for the awesome feedback! Actually, harryrulesmyworld, Irma's my favorite character (though it might not be obvious). Good news update-wise. My school's spring break starts on Thursday so you guys can be expecting new chapters a lot faster!** **Speaking of chapters, here's #3!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H., Wicked, or Red Bull.**

Chapter 3

I Know This Feeling

The rest of the week had come and gone, and Saturday afternoon found our favorite protectors of the universe grouped outside of Sheffield's auditorium, trying to get a very stubborn Taranee through the doors.

"I already told you guys, there is NO WAY IN CANDRACAR that I am going in there!" the fire maven struggled, hanging on to the door handle for dear life as Hay Lin and Irma tugged at her by the legs.

"Oh look, there's Nigel," Cornelia said brightly, pointing to the back of a head of shaggy brown hair.

"WHERE?" Taranee cried, pulling out a hand mirror with amazing speed to check her makeup. With a quick smile, she ducked off into the theater to chat up her crush, leaving the other girls to look gratefully to Cornelia.

"So how did those voice lessons go, Will?" Hay Lin asked, riffling through a packet of song sheets.

"Fine," Will answered, a tinge of pink rising in her cheeks.

"Something tells me singing was the _last_ thing they practiced," Irma whispered, nudging Hay Lin.

"Something tells _me_ you'd better start running," Will retorted, and before she could grab Irma in a headlock, Ms. Kelly poked her head out into the hallway. "You're up next girls!" she said before disappearing again.

"Well, here we go." Irma turned around and walked into the theater, her friends behind her all the way.

**IKNOWTHISFEELINGIKNOWTHISFEELINGIKNOWTHISFEELINGIKNOWTHISFEELING**

"NEXT!"

"What do you mean?" Uriah whined from onstage. "I'd make the perfect Fiyero! Just look at me! Have you ever seen anything look so devilishly handsome?"

"Yes," Ms. Kelly said, trying to keep her calm, having just been through five hours of off-key hopefuls. "Everything and anything that isn't _you._ NEXT!"

Uriah stomped offstage and stalked past his group of flunkies, flinging his sheet music over his shoulder as he went. "Hay Lin! You're up next!" Ms. Kelly called.

Hay Lin grabbed Taranee by the wrist and dragged her up onto the stage. "We're auditioning together," she told Ms. Kelly, who nodded and sat back, waiting for them to begin.

While Hay Lin took the accompaniment CD and scanned over the song list, Taranee was trying hard not to meet anyone's eyes. She was never the best at dealing with judgment. "Hay Lin," she whispered as her friend's finger found the perfect number. "I don't think I can do this."

The air girl sighed and popped the CD into the player, setting it to the right number. "Tara, it's just Ms. Kelly and the girls. You'll be fine. No one's gonna laugh at you or anything. Just…play the 'if I can't see you, you can't see me' game. Don't worry. I'm right here with you."

Taranee nodded, fixing her stare on the giant pumpkin mural that she'd helped paint not two weeks ago in honor of Sheffield Institute's annual Pumpkin Day while Hay Lin pressed a microphone into her hand and the music began to swell throughout the room.

"One short day in the Emerald City. One short day, full of so much to do. Every way that you look in the city, there's something exquisite that you'll want to visit before the day's through…"

Irma eyebrows shot up in surprise as she heard her friends sing. She hadn't known Taranee _could _sing, and Hay Lin hadn't exactly ever let off that she could carry a tune. But together, they sounded…good. _Really _good. _Just like by ourselves, we're all right, but as a team, W.I.T.C.H. kicks some serious ass…or is it W.T.C.H. now?_

Before Irma could lapse further into her reveries, the sound of footsteps jolted her out of her memories. Cobalt Blue, otherwise known to the girls as Matt's band, strolled through the doors of the auditorium as quietly as they could, taking seats in the front row and setting down their instruments, freshly tuned from practice. The ex-water girl was just about to tear her gaze away when she saw _him. _

_Him_ happened to be a tall, dark, and certainly handsome guy. Light blonde hair falling around his face, he bent down to pick up the lyrics Uriah had so carelessly tossed aside, straightening up with a look of interest as his eyes scanned the sheets. A pair of purple-tinted sunglasses was perched atop his head, a jacket proclaiming the name of the band in big obviously blue lettering hanging loosely around his shoulders, reaching down past the waist of his dark blue jeans. He sat down next to Matt, eyes still glued to the papers, and Irma couldn't help but let hers follow him. She hadn't really paid much attention to other guys in Matt's band, but now…

"…sharing one wonderful one short day!"

Taranee and Hay Lin looked to Ms. Kelly, who scribbled something onto her clipboard before meeting the girls' gaze.

"Great job, girls. You can take a seat." She glanced over her shoulder at the auditorium's wall clock and gave a little eep of surprise when she realized how late it was. "Okay guys, we need to step it up a bit. Will, you and Matt do this number, Cornelia and Irma, you do this one, and the rest of you I'll talk to later," she blurted hurriedly, passing out song sheets left and right.

Will and Matt's rendition of "As Long As You're Mine," flew by as fast as a guardian on Red Bull, so they passed their microphones to Irma and Cornelia within three minutes. The girls took the stage, and with one uncertain glance at the other, started to sing.

"What is this feeling, so sudden and new?" Cornelia started, her voice a soft and melodious tone people rarely ever heard it take. Its ever-present edge was gone, replaced by a grace she usually reserved for skating.

"I felt the moment I laid eyes on you," Irma sang back, powerful as her personality.

"My pulse is rushing."

"My head is reeling."

"My face is flushing."

"What is this feeling?" The girls hid their surprise as they heard their voices blend, a strangely pleasing sound, balanced between force and beauty.

"Fervid as a flame…does it have a name? Yeeeeeeeeeeeesss! Loathing! Unadulterated loathing!"

"For your face."

"Your voice."

"Your clothing."

"It's so pure so strong!"

_Wow, is this the story of our lives or what?_ Irma thought. _Reminds me of the day I met ol' Corny…_

_Flashback_

_The kindergarteners of Sheffield Institute bid their parents goodbye as they walked into their first day of school. Well, most of them walked. Irma Lair stomped into the classroom, clearly wanting to be back at home baking cookies with her step-mother than slapping painting on a piece of paper with her fingers. _

_By noon, the little honey-haired girl was sitting in a corner, grumpily slamming building blocks one on top of the other. She was just about to knock the whole thing down when a high-pitched voice stopped her._

"_You know, you're wearing last year's shoes."_

_Irma turned around to meet Cornelia Hale, all three-foot-two of kid's fashion poster child._

"_Well duh, last year was when I got 'em," Irma retorted, turning around and knocking her fist against the block tower. _

_Little Cornelia wrinkled her nose in disgust. _

"_You look like a bug when you do that," Irma observed, stacking up the blocks again._

"_At least I don't like boy stuff," Cornelia said._

"_Blocks aren't boy stuff," Irma said, standing up and facing the little blonde girl._

"_Are too. Makeup is girl stuff."_

"_Makeup? You mean that stuff that makes you look like a clown?" Irma asked innocently._

"_At least I don't smash blocks."_

"_At least _I'M _not part of the circus."_

"_Crayon eater!"_

"_Cootie catcher!"_

"_Nose picker!"_

"_BOY LIKER!"_

_A long silence fell over the entire room. The teacher walked over to the girls and put them in the corners to think about what they did. But they weren't think about what they'd said. They were thinking about each other. 'I'm never gonna talk to _her _again.'_

_End Flashback_

_What a long way we've come since then, _Irma thought, singing out the next to last line of the song. _But I know _that _feeling._

"And I will be loathing for forever loathing, truly deeply loathing you (loathing you)…my whole life through!"

**WOW that was a long chapter. Allrightee, before I tell you to review, I've got some advertisements my friends asked me to do. SO:**

**For all you Harry Potter fans, check out my good friend Periphery's fanfic, The Echinodermaga & leave a review (she REALLY needs some, guys!) and also for HP fans, if you're looking for a good roleplay site, check out Hogwarts Unleashed **(Personal Message me for the link) **Anyway, no I don't know that that's how Cornelia & Irma met, I just thought it fit in with the song & all. Now that you've read, REVIEW! 11 reviews & I'll have chapter 4 for you! **


	4. So If You Care To Cast Me

**Hey everybody! Well, I am OFFICIALLY FREE! Spring break has just started and I am ready to update! Thanks to harryrulesmyworld, topazchick08, Periphery, MysteriousReviewer, dittogrrl, strayphoenix, and Sokai for reviewing! I just got THE most amazing idea for a W.I.T.C.H. story, but I need to finish this one first. So here's Chapter 4!**

**By the way, topazchick08, I (unfortunately) didn't write the songs. The one Hay Lin & Taranee sang is called "One Short Day" and Cornelia and Irma sang "What is This Feeling?" and they're both from the musical Wicked. Strayphoenix, I got tickets online for Broadway in my city, not Broadway for real. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H. or Wicked.**

Chapter 4

So If You Care To Cast Me

Taranee Cook had to take off her glasses and rub them at least three times to make sure she wasn't seeing things, things like Will Vandom. Sitting outside of school. At six o' clock in the morning. When school started at eight.

"Um, Will? Did your alarm clock go off too early again? I _told_ you to ask it why it _insists _on waking you up just to_–_"

Will sighed, heaving herself up from the ground and managing to lift her heavy head, her tired, dead eyes meeting Taranee's sparkling ones. "No," she said, shifting her backpack from one shoulder to the other. "It wasn't my alarm clock, it was just…well…"

"Nervous about seeing the cast list? That's _my_ job," she teased. "Don't worry about it. After that workout Matt gave you, you probably got _all_ the parts."

Will smiled, leaning back against the wall and putting a hand to her head. "No, I'm not worried about that…much. I was just thinking about…us. Ever since Irma gave up her powers, I've been worried that…that we aren't going to be the same team anymore. The Heart's been acting weird lately. That's why I was up so late. It felt like I was losing power, only it wasn't my own. It's feeling the loss, Tara. The Heart knows a part of it is gone…and if it stays gone…I…I don't know what I'm gonna do," she whispered, burying her head in her hands.

Taranee pulled Will's hands from her face and lifted her head so their eyes met. "Will, just because you're our leader doesn't mean that everything is your fault. This wasn't something any of us could control. Irma did what she had to do, and she'll do it again, no problem."

"I wish I could believe you," Will murmured. "I just…Phobos might've been our first mission, but he isn't going to be our last. Something else is just waiting to strike, and when it does…we're gonna need Irma. She just might not be there…"

"Will, look at me. We've saved our vest friend from being killed by her psycho brother. We've rescued an entire world from an egocentric power-tripper. We_–_"

"You've just got so many great names for him, don't you?" Will asked, shaking her head.

"My point is," Taranee continued. "We've done the impossible so many times before. Who says we can't do it again?"

Will looked up and smiled. "I guess I can't be the first," she said. "Now c'mon. Let's go see if those voice lessons paid off."

**SOIFYOUCARETOCASTMESOIFYOUCARETOCASTMESOIFYOUCARETOCASTME**

"C'mon Irma, Ms. Kelly said it'd be up by now!" Hay Lin charged through the hallways of Sheffield Institute, Irma trailing behind her, still in shock over the A+ she'd gotten on her geography quiz. The girls skidded the a halt next to Cornelia, who was pulling her hair out of a ponytail as she craned her neck to try and see the cast list over the crowd of students gathered around the drama board.

"Are we late?" Will asked, faced flushed, a panting Taranee coming up behind her.

"No, you're right on time," Hay Lin answered, elbowing her way past Martin Tubbs and his troop of Happy Bears. "What took you guys, anyway? You look like you ran to Metamoor and back."

"Yeah, well, you see Uriah with a bunch of water balloons and tell me you'd stay and try to fight him."

As student after student walked away cheering or tearing up, the girls stomachs began to turn as the plain black print of the cast list grew clearer and clearer. And after a deep breath or three, Cornelia and Hay Lin stepped up and scanned for the group's names.

_Sheffield Institute's 25th Annual Spring Musical_

_Wicked_

_Main Cast List_

_Glinda-Cornelia Hale_

_Witch's Father-Martin Tubbs_

_Witch's Mother-Courtney Grumper_

_Midwife-Bess Grumper_

_Elphaba-Irma Lair_

_Nessarose-Hay Lin_

_Boq-Eric Lyndon_

_Madame Morrible-Will Vandom_

_Doctor Dillamond-Joel Phoenix_

_Fiyero-Matt Olsen_

_Ozian Official-Martin Tubbs_

_The Wonderful Wizard of Oz-Nigel Ashcroft_

_Chistery-Martin Tubbs_

_Ensemble-Taranee Cook, Uriah Dunn, Stephanie Crysel, Roland Everett, Garrett Camber, Tina Lovett, Conner Smith, Natalie Lewis, Gina Camber, Larry Gilman, Rachel Lyman, Chris Wyden, Gabrielle Valdese, Lynette Whitman, Michael Tarver_

"We're going to play sisters!" Hay Lin squealed, throwing her arms around Irma's neck. The brunette just smiled, relief at being cast washing over her…until she double-checked who was playing her love interest. Her head snapped over towards Will, who just smiled at the fearful look on her friend's face.

"Just don't start crushing on my scarecrow," she said with a wink before turning to congratulate Cornelia.

As everyone started comparing roles, Ms. Kelly stepped out of the auditorium, heaving a pile of packets along with her. "Okay everyone, settle down. First, congratulations to all who tried out and those that made the cut. Would everyone who did please come forward and take a packet. It includes rehearsal schedules, costume and makeup instructions, song lyrics, and your script. Anyone signing up for the tech crew or props and makeup, meet me in my office after seventh period. Everyone else, scan your scripts tonight and be ready for a table read on Thursday."

After Hay Lin had skipped up to Ms. Kelly and grabbed five packets, the girls started off for sixth period, while visions of Ozians danced in their heads.

**SOIFYOUCARETOCASTMESOIFYOUCARETOCASTMESOIFYOUCARETOCASTME**

"_I'M MELTING! I'M MELTING!" _ Irma shook her head with a smile as she read over the near-end scene, eyes glued to the page and not paying any attention to where she was walking.

_How ironic, _she thought, _that my dear character's demise is what I so desperately need to live. _Irma sighed, flipping the page over and scanning Glinda's reaction to the tragic end of the Wicked Witch of the West.

_It's not like I _can't_ go on without it, _she thought on, aimlessly zigzagging through a hallway. _It's just that…I don't _want _to. _Her eyes, still getting used to contacts, flew over the lyrics of the show's grand finale, and the words began to find their way out of her mouth. "Who can say if I've been changed for the better but, because I knew you…"

And before she could sing anymore, the sensation of slamming head-on into a brick wall shot up and down her figure, eyes on the tiled white floor instead of blackened plain print.

Irma looked up, rage in her eyes, and before she could explode about just how careless the person lying next to her was, she found herself looking into the pale brown eyes of Matt Olsen, also known as the object of her leader's every affection.

"That's some voice you've got on you," he said, standing up and offering her a hand. "You might just be better than me."

"Might?" Irma teased, taking his hand and letting him lift her off the floor. "I'd say I passed your skill level twenty-five musicals ago, Mr. Scarecrow."

"We'll see," he said simply. "Hey, my band needs a girl to sing backup for our next track. Think you'd be interested, Ms. Wicked Witch?"

"When and where?"

"Tonight, seven thirty, my garage. Bring those killer pipes." And with a wave, he walked out the door to the bike rack. And as Irma bent down to pick up her papers, she couldn't help but think, _So much for today being lame._

**Yay, another chapter done! I thought it'd be good to add some Will & Taranee stuff in there, so I did. This story will have some more of the other girls than the last one did, just an FYI. The cast list is mostly characters from the books, though I did make up the last thirteen ensemble people (the list is in the actual format of the _Wicked _Playbill, so it's accurate) Okay then, you know what to do! 20 reviews & I'll update!**


	5. The Writer and I

**Hey everybody! I'm SO sorry, I'm horrible for not updating sooner, but things have been TERRIBLY busy for me. Thanks to harryrulesmyworld, topazchick08, LordofDarkness2099, MysteriousReviewer, Beaumont's Lament, Periphery (YES, he's a guy Will likes, in response to your review), GrrArgh, and strayphoenix for reviewing, and Adiatu & Yuki3x3 for reviewing BFF? I'm VERY pleased to report that I have a lot of surprises in store for this story, so on to Chapter 5!**

**Disclaimer: NO, I don't own W.I.T.C.H.**

Chapter 5

The Writer and I

A box of turquoise colored contacts clattered to the floor as Irma stumbled, knocking into her dresser in a very sad attempt to collapse onto her bed. A feeling of intrigue had her in its death-grip, clinging no matter how she tried to wash it from her mind. It had all started when she was walking up the Olsen's driveway…

_Flashback_

_Irma listened to the bing-bong of the Olsen's doorbell, hand resting on her hip, waiting rather impatiently for one of the guys to haul their ass off the couch and open the door for her. Her finger was ready to jab it again when she heard the sound of a garage door sliding up, up, and open. _

"_Irma?" The ex-water maven turned to face the very surprised voice of a very surprised redheaded drummer._

"_Hey to you too, Paul," Irma said, hopping down the steps and landing in front of him. Paul had been Irma's best guy friend for what seemed like forever. They went way back…back to kindergarten, actually, right when Irma had been released from her corner after her very first blowout with Cornelia. But that's another flashback for another time. _

"You're _the girl singing backup for us?" he asked, expression disbelieving._

"_Well, I'm no Karmilla, but still…"_

"_No, it's just I thought you'd be out forging that solo career you've been buzzing in my ear about for the last ten years, not sticking yourself in the background of some boy band."_

"_Yeah, well, that solo career's on backburner until my French grade magically racks up from a C to an A, according to stepmother dearest."_

"_You think you'd get used to her after eleven freaking years, but here you are, proving me wrong."_

"_As I always do," she quipped back. "So where's the rest of this boy band?"_

"_Catching the last twenty minutes of the football game, which I really need to get back to. So while we're doing that, our backup guitarist is gonna come out and warm you up. His name's Joel, and he's not much for talking, just FYI. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go cheer on Heatherfield." Irma nodded, watching the door to the house close behind him. She leaned against the door and waited…and waited…and waited. _

_The sound of her foot tapping against the ground in pure impatience got really old, really fast. But before Irma could bang her fist against the conveniently nearby drum set, something stopped her hand, frozen in mid-swing. She thought she could hear a guitar, strumming a familiar tune as a soft voice sang along…a soft voice that she could barely hear, a fact that driving her mad. Candracar could take away her powers, but that ever-famous attitude would stick forever. _

_Browning grass crunched as Irma hightailed around the house, curiosity driving her into the backyard. Her eyes fell into the horizon, the horizon that happened to be housing a figure, turned toward her, blonde hair falling into his face as he hunched over his guitar. Irma could see his lips moving in time to the tune he strummed, and she moved closer, straining to hear his voice._

"_Did that really just happen? Have I actually understood?" Irma moved a few steps closer, his voice drawing her in as she tried in vain to hear it clearly. "This weird quirk I've tried to suppress or hide, is a…" He trailed off, screwing up his still-hidden face as he worked his mind to remember the rest of the verse. Irma smiled, taking this as her cue to introduce herself, however strange the introduction might have been. _

"_Talent, that could help me meet the Wizard…if I make good." The boy's head shot up as Irma's voice cut clear through his silence. A pair of mystified auburn eyes searched her falsely blue ones. Irma just grinned through this show of panic. "So I'll make good," she finished, holding the last note out for good measure. _

_The boy just stared at Irma, a slight tinge of pink creeping up into his face. Irma had the fleeting thought that he was embarrassed, but brushed it off, trying words instead. "Not exactly your song," she started, thinking back to his name on the cast list next to Dr. Dillamond. "But you sing it well. Think you could give me some pointers?" The boy, Joel, she guessed he was, just nodded his head. 'Right, not much for talking.' "So…I guess I should warm up?" she tried. He nodded again, letting his fingers fly over the strings…_

**THEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDI**

While Irma recounted her tale of the night, a stream of very questionable threats was pouring from the otherwise graceful lips of Cornelia Hale as she chased after Lillian, her blonde hair fanning out behind her in her quest to reclaim her curling iron.

"LILLIAN HALE FOR THE LAST TIME THAT THING IS NOT FOR CAT FUR!" The earth girl plucked the iron from her little sister's hands, giving the family cat, Napoleon, some time to scamper away. After the 'terror of a five year old' (as Cornelia loved to refer to her) was safely shut in her room, Cornelia stalked back to her own, shoving the plug into the nearest outlet and waiting for the iron to heat up. Her eyes wandered around the room…right over to where a beautiful vase stood on her dresser, a vase that used to hold a luminous lily…

She sighed angrily, closing her eyes tight. She was thinking about him again. No matter how she wished his face away, those emerald eyes, that auburn hair, those stripes across his face.

Caleb.

Her eyes began to ache with welled-up tears. He was alive, he was so close…and then he offered himself to a world away from her. She couldn't be angry with him, only at the world for dividing a love she so desperately craved. _I wonder if he misses me…_

**THEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDI**

"_All right guys, I think we've got enough to go on." Irma let a wave of relief wash over her as Matt closed their recording session. "Thanks for the vocals, Irma. We'll send this in and let you know if we get word from a company." Irma nodded and said you're welcome, moving to walk out of the garage and start for home, when she felt Matt's hand on her shoulder._

"_Hey, Joel," Matt called over his shoulder. "Walk Irma home, will you?" Joel nodded, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of his face as he set down his guitar and came up on the other side of Irma. "Have fun, you two." And before Irma could protest that she was a big girl and could take care of herself, Joel took her hand and started pulling her off toward the sidewalk._

"_What'd you do that for?" Irma blurted intelligently. Joel just shook his head, smiling for the first time since Irma had seen him. She found she liked it when he smiled. _

"_I _did _want to get you home before Christmas," he quipped quietly. "You seem like the kind of person who doesn't let things go too quickly."_

"_And you'd know that because you know me oh-so-well, is that right?" Irma couldn't help but feel a surge of joy shoot through her. She was coming back. Slowly but surely, she was coming back. And if sarcasm had to be what drew the old Irma back out, so be it._

"_Well, maybe not now, I don't…" he trailed, leaving the rest up to Irma's imagination._

"_So Matt did a pretty good job penning that song, huh?" Irma said, changing the subject._

"_Actually," Joel said, "That was me."_

"_You wrote that?" Irma made no effort at all to hide her surprise. That song was so…edgy. From what Irma could see, this Joel guy was everything but Mr. Let's Rock Out._

"_Yeah," he murmured, modesty in his voice. "I write all our songs, except for when some girl sways Matt to jot her a drippy love song." _

_Irma laughed a little. She opened her mouth to keep the conversation afloat, but the light of a streetlamp brought her house into her line of sight. "Well, thanks," Irma finally settled on, starting up the walk. Joel nodded, disappearing off down the street with nothing but a smile on his face. _

_And as Irma grew closer and closer to her front door, she couldn't help but ask herself the question she'd had in mind for him: "So why don't _you _pen those drippy love songs?"_

Irma wrapped the contacts in a tissue and threw it away, resting her head on a pillow as her thoughts came to a stop on Joel. She thought for a minute, then closed her eyes, but not before saying: "Nah, too quiet."

**THEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDITHEWRITERANDI**

_Finally. _Cornelia gazed into her bedroom mirror, smiling at the glistening blonde curls that tumbled down her back. _Goodbye, all seriousness. Hello, Miss Galinda. _The earth goddess took one more look at her success before settling into sleep. Her dreams took on a familiar face, and this time, it wasn't fury she felt as she thought.

_I wonder if he misses me. _

**Good? Bad? Tell me when you review! 26 & I'll update! By the way, check out LordofDarkness2099's story because it is AMAZING. Be sure to leave them a review or two! Don't worry, Caleb will come into this story eventually. By the way, this takes place after book 15, before book 16, so Nerissa hasn't happened yet (just in case anyone was confused)**


	6. Loving Through Life

**Hey everybody! Wow, I didn't think you guys would really like that last chapter, but since you did, I'll leave it alone. I know, I know, the whole Joel & Irma meeting wasn't the greatest, but I've got a way for it to come into play later. Thanks to topazchick08, Elementalflame, Sokai (bing-bong!) and strayphoenix for reviewing! Here's chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

Chapter 6

Loving Through Life

Pink. The Heart of Candracar had dressed her in pink. Will Vandom smacked her forehead in frustration, gritting her teeth as she stared at the floating orb before her.

"C'mon, Heart of Candracar. Matt's rehearsing his big number today, and if I don't look drop-dead gorgeous when I tell him what a great job he did, my mind will _not _be a happy place for you to spend the night!" The jewel shuddered, and Will sighed an apology. She raised her auburn eyes to her bedroom mirror, sizing herself up. A white tank top hung loosely around her shoulder, covered by a hot pink, long-sleeved sweater and then, she cringed, a miniskirt to match.

The Heart of Candracar seemed to sink a little in the air, but nonetheless launched a bright beam of brilliant, dare I say it, pink to wrap around its keeper. As she let the transformation take her away, Will's mind set off down the one-track that was Matt Olsen. The eyes as soft as morning sky, the hair she longed to run her fingers through, the crooning voice she wished would sing her name one day.

The Heart shook in her outstretched hand. Jolted back to reality, she let her eyes drink in her reflection. A navy blue shirt, midnight black sweater, just-the-right-amount-of-ripped jeans, hair tumbling down in loose waves of crimson…she smiled, giving the jewel a little squeeze.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down." She gave it another little thank you squeeze before it disappeared into herself. And before she started off for school, she couldn't help but whisper. "Look out, Olsen, here I come."

**LOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHOUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFE**

"The trouble with schools is, they always try to teach the wrong lessons…"

"Got that right!"

Ms. Kelly let her fist slam the CD player's OFF button as her reproachful gaze swiveled over to the stage. "Uriah, we all know _very well _that education is not your cup of tea. But FOR THE LOVE OF OZ, could we PLEASE get through this song without you pointing it out!"

"But that's just why I'd make a better Fiyero!" the redhead protested from his place onstage. "We both hate school! Put two and two together, woman! Maybe this is why you're not a math teacher…"

You could almost see the veins throbbing in Ms. Kelly's forehead. "Taranee," she said in a voice that came out eerily calm. "Would you mind helping Uriah learn his place in the production? Somewhere FAR, FAR away from the stage, perhaps?"

The fire guardian nodded obediently, worried that Ms. Kelly might pop a few gaskets if she do as told. So while Matt resumed his position and his voice flowed over the music, Taranee had made to grab Uriah's wrist and drag him out the door, only to turn around and find that he was already halfway out.

"Uriah!" she called out down the hallway, running toward his tensed, retreating back. She reached out and let her hand clamp around his shoulder. He froze for a second before wheeling around to face her, his expression furious, and yet…he looked surprised, surprised that she had come after him instead of letting him keep stalking down the hallway.

"Look," she said, careful to harden her voice as she remembered who she was dealing with. "I want to this about as much as you do. My friends were the ones who signed me on for this, and who even knows why you're here. So if you can't do anything about it, just sing about dancing through life and gliding where turf is smooth without complaining that you're more of a Fiyero than Matt, got it?"

The gang leader gave Taranee a long, hard look. To tell the truth, the fire girl didn't blame him. Where had this no-nonsense snappish mode come from? And how had it corralled her courage to attack Uriah?

"At least I speak up." And he left her with those words as his footsteps echoed down the hallway. Taranee's feet seemed rooted to the ground as Uriah's voice rang in her head. _At least I speak up._

"Taranee?"

She turned around, smiling as she recognized the voice. Nigel Ashcroft, the shaggy-haired softie of Uriah's groundless gang, grinned at her from across the hallway. Taranee almost flew to his side, managing to get in a "Hi, Nigel," before she enveloped him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist, then pulled back so he could see her face.

"Cornelia just got here, so we're going to run the dance number one more time. So since Uriah's obviously blazed a trail out of here, would you care to join us?"

"I'd love to." Nigel slipped his arm around her waist, and Taranee was only too happy to lean on him.

**LOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFE**

"Listen, Hay Lin…" Eric Lyndon cringed as his line came out wrong…again. Hay Lin fought the urge to shake her head as she sat patiently in the props department's masterpiece of a wheelchair. She simply smiled. "Again?" she questioned calmly, thankful that Ms. Kelly had let the pair of them practice alone.

Eric nodded, struggling to keep from blushing as he shuffled his song sheets. He cleared his throat, praying for some perfection. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Hay Lin this time…then again, that was what he had wanted the last five times he'd tried to get those two simple words to come out right. He was just too focused on her, too busy revolving around those light, dancing dark eyes of hers…

He shook his head, willing his voice to come out of hiding. "Listen, Nessa?" Eric smiled as his words matched the paper's.

"Yes?"

"Uh, Nessa, I've got something to confess, a reason why, well, why I asked you here tonight. Now I know it isn't fair…"

"Oh, Boq, I know why."

"You do?"

"It's because I'm this chair, and you felt sorry for me…well, isn't that right?"

"No! It's because…because…because you are so beautiful!" Hay Lin's heart fluttered as Eric belted out that line, secretly hoping that his character's thoughts could possibly match his own.

"Oh, Boq, I think you're wonderful! And we deserve each other, don't you see, this is our chance!" Hay Lin looked up from the script and into Eric's eyes as she finished. "We deserve each other, don't we, Boq?" Eric leaned down, and Hay Lin craned her neck up, thinking maybe, just maybe, this was it, this was when Eric would finally give her lips what they'd been craving since their night under the stars.

"You know what?" Hay Lin saw herself as guardian, feeling as if she was about to fly off into a sky of bliss. "Let's dance." And then the guardian her crashed and burned. _Of course, _she thought bitterly. _It's all just a play. Not the way he really feels…_

And so she sat back in the wheelchair as Eric whirled her round and round.

**LOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFE**

The world of Candracar was asleep. Except for one young man, a young man with emerald green eyes, soft brown hair, and few green slashes across his face. Caleb, the rebel leader of Meridian, who'd endured weeks of constant worry and kept sweat at bay, was, well, worrying.

He envisioned her. Night and day, hard as it was to tell between them, his mind looked upon her vision of a face. He tried to send his thoughts to her, tried to communicate his endless "I love you"-s. They were worlds away from hearing each other, worlds away from gazing into each others eyes and wishing everything else away.

And for that, he cursed the worlds daily. But cursing did him no good. He was no sorcerer. He was the Herald of Candracar, and according to the Oracle, "even Heralds need their rest." So before a pillar became his pillar, he couldn't help but think.

_I wonder if she misses me._

**LOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFELOVINGTHROUGHLIFE**

"Hi, my little sweet potato! I wondering if_–_" BEEP!

"Hi, my little onion ring! I don't know if you got my last message, but_–_" BEEP!

"Hi, my little passion flower! Something must be wrong with your answering machi_–_" BEEP!

Irma sighed as her finger pounded her answering machine's delete button, erasing Martin Tubb's daily round of hopeful messages. He was like a fly that just wouldn't stop buzzing, so obvious, so out there, so…_loud. _

_I need some silence…well, me and everyone that's met Martin Tubbs. _A face flashed through her mind, a face with gentle eyes and blonde hair falling all in it, a guitar playing in the air. Silence equaled Joel, and for the second time, he was the last thing she thought of before she drifted off to sleep.

"No," she whispered. "Too quiet."

**There's a nice long chapter to tide you guys over! I've got to say, I'm a lot happier with this one than the last one. Lots of fluff in this one, and there's Caleb, guys! Enjoy it, though, because he might not pop up again for another chapter or two. But enough about what I think, tell me what _you_ think! 30 reviews & I'll update!**


	7. Something Strange

**Hey everybody! I am SO SO SO SORRY for not updating sooner. Things have been TOTALLY hectic for me these last few weeks, but now I have some time to update. Thanks for bearing with me! Thanks to strayphoenix, harryrulesmyworld, JayxKay, topazchick08, Celestial Secrets, MysteriousReviewer, Valinor575, Hobbit69, Heart of Magic, GrrArgh, and Lovelinelivelong639 for reviewing! Glad you liked the Caleb stuff. Just to clarify, last chapter there was a line that read "So before a pillar became his pillar," which was supposed to read "So before a pillar became his pillow." Just thought I'd clear that up.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own them yet.**

Chapter 7

Something Strange

A gentle breeze rippled over Heatherfield, the handiwork of a hidden Hay Lin as she worked her magic on two figures standing in the distance. Shimmering brown locks brushed the eyes of a young man. Warmth that only a sunset could give filled the night, yet his gaze ignored the sky, sharing the stare of adoring auburn eyes instead. He wrapped an arm around her, a girl of dark-skinned beauty. She looked up at him through spheres of glass, thoughtlessly letting her fingers intertwine with his. The beads that held her hair clicked as the two let night arrive behind them, just holding each other, shyness keeping tabs on their words, fighting back the urge to reveal a love that two sweet souls wished to share…if only one of them would work up the courage to _say something._

Taranee Cook sighed as she gazed into the photograph, trying to call forth the feeling of the moment. Of course she remembered it, she was the one who'd taken the picture. She was also the one standing in Nigel's embrace, ready to blurt out the L word and hope he'd return her favor…but a perfect picture was a still one, a captured moment without a hair out of place. Funny how the picture felt like it was missing something…like it might've been complete if someone had said…oh, I don't know…"I love you"?

**SOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGE**

Matt Olsen hated blank paper. Matt Olsen also hated that he had a perfectly good idea for a song and the perfect girl as the perfect inspiration but it was six in the morning and he had a pen in his hand and the thoughts in his head but no matter how hard he tried the words just wouldn't flow onto the paper and GOD DANG IT HE NEEDED SOME COFFEE! The singer sighed, surrendering to his writer's block and letting his pen wander to the top of his paper, drawing a little red heart in the corner of a sea of white. Rich, dark red…just like her hair…

Will Vandom. Her name was like a song within itself. An angelic choir of lyrics, and he couldn't trace a word. She was so mysterious sometimes, like she had a whole other life apart from the sort of graceful swimmer, a whole other self somewhere far from the little town of Heatherfield…

He smiled as he thought himself some inspiration, willing his beautiful ideas to take shape on the blankness before him. He felt his face begin to relax into a frown again, but before his frustration could cloud those visions of soft, chocolate eyes and cascading locks of red, his hand found the phone.

"Joel? It's Matt..._yes, _I know that it's six in the morning…_no, _I didn't have that nightmare about the man-eating mushrooms again…shut up, man, I was only five when I watched that movie…listen, I need some help with this song, do you think you can come over? Great…and could you stop at Starbucks on the way? I need my morning coffee."

**SOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGE**

_Just as it was written that Elyon would return, it was written that we would meet again…_

Cornelia shot up out of her sleep, tears tugging at her ice blue eyes as she remembered the moment…and remembered where she was right then. Her own loneliness was wrapping her in its chokehold of an embrace, Caleb's arms up in Candracar, along with the bright future that had faded like Meridian under a tyrant with no heart.

The earth goddess couldn't hold it in any longer. Too many memories were crammed into that comparison alone. Her fingers caught in her golden curls as her eyes shut tight, boyd rocking back and forth in a painful anxiety. She grasped her blonde locks tighter, shaking her head as she scolded herself. She was the grounded girl; she wasn't supposed to fall apart.

"Only you two could do this to me…" she whispered to two people that were worlds away. "Only you could undo me…even if you didn't mean to…"

A hand clamped over her pale pink lips, suppressing a scream long overdue. Her free hand clamped over her cell phone, fingers jabbing randomly at buttons until she could hear a ringing.

"Hello?"

Cornelia froze as she heard Irma's tired voice travel through the line. Of all people, the earth girl had blindly called _Irma. _Irma, whose first words with Cornelia had been a fight. Irma, whose powers had thrown Cornelia's for a loop just days after they'd received them. Irma, who was getting very impatient one the other end of the line when Cornelia didn't answer her.

"Irma?" Cornelia managed, trying to squeeze the edge back into her faltering voice.

"Cornelia?" On the other side of Heatherfield, Irma began to wake up as she heard her friend's voice…and how utterly depressed it sounded. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Cornelia said a little too quickly, regretting that she starting to snap at Irma already.

"So…would you like to enlighten me as to why I'm on the phone with you at six thirty in the morning if nothing's bothering you?"

"What, friends can't call just to say hi anymore?" the blonde girl asked feebly, trying to give herself some cover.

"Cornelia, the last time you 'called to say hi' was when you found out that Paul Tulloch was taking Elyon to our first junior high dance in sixth grade instead of asking you to go. _What's wrong?_" the ex-water wielder pressed.

Cornelia sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest as she realized just how much her feelings were aching to be poured out to someone. "Can you come over?"

Irma's eyebrows went up as she heard Cornelia's request. But before she could blurt out something like "Are you crazy?" Irma found herself saying something more like "Okay."

"Thanks," Cornelia said, smiling a little. "And could you stop at Starbucks on your way over? We've got a lot to talk about."

**SOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGE**

Joel Phoenix was a calm person. If the Oracle of Candracar were to challenge him in meditation, the lyricist would probably stand a good chance. However, when a friend calls another friend at all hours of the morning to go on a coffee run for them, calm often takes a backseat to the wonderful world of fury. So it's no small wonder that the poor clerk at Starbucks was jolted from his sleep by the door slam of a very ticked off writer in need of his beauty sleep.

But as Joel stood waiting for his coffee, rubbing at the golden stubble he'd forgotten to shave that morning, he couldn't help but look up as the front door of Starbucks slammed again, threatening to tear off its hinges if one more sleep-deprived customer happened to vent their anger.

Irma Lair, wavy brown hair flying out behind her with no clips in sight, marched her way over to the counter, muttering her order before folding her arms over her chest and slouching quite ungracefully against the counter. Joel raised his eyebrows in amusement, wondering if he should dare approach the girl whose reputation of short-tempered reigned in Sheffield's social ladder.

"I didn't think the wicked drank coffee," he finally decided on, smiling as she whirled around at his words, scowl turning into something resembling a normal expression.

"And I didn't think you talking goats left the farm," Irma tossed back, foot tapping impatiently as the guy behind the counter struggled with the espresso machine.

"Must you witches always hide behind your sarcasm?" Joel asked calmly, quite enjoying the reaction he was getting out of the girl. He'd never seen anyone like her, so easy to set off, yet quite alluring in her little way, even in the early hours, with her hair flowing free like it did…as if it were fanned out in the water…

"Must you animals always…um…"

"Two double espressos!"

Joel took the coffees from the counter, not making any move to leave as Irma waited for hers. "Saved by the coffee?" he tried, downing a gulp of his own.

"And very glad to be," she replied, finally letting her sarcastic demeanor take a holiday. "Who's the other for?"

"My dear friend Matt decided that this morning would be the perfect time to wake me up and send me out for coffee to keep us awake while he tries to cram his feelings of boundless love for Will into one song," he replied with an eye roll or two. "You?"

"Cornelia says nothing's wrong, wants me to come over, wants me to come over with coffee, then wants to talk about what's wrong." Joel just nodded. When he didn't say anything else, Irma plowed ahead. "So if Matt doesn't get his morning coffee, something b-a-a-a-ad happens?" she asked, unable to resist the lure of sarcasm as she tried her hand at a goat voice.

"You still going to be saying that when that song steals the show?" he smirked.

"Two white chocolate mochas!"

Irma took up the coffee and turned back to Joel. The two just stared at each other for a minute, unsure of whether to fuel the conversation or let it fizzle into the last of the sunrise coming up outside of them.

"Um…"

"Yeah…"

"I'd better…"

"Head over to Cornelia's…"

The two smiled at their own awkwardness.

"Till next time, Miss Elphaba." Joel gave a mock bow, which Irma rewarded with a smile.

"Until then, Doctor." And with that, the two walked their own way, Joel to profess a love that wasn't his, Irma to piece together a romance she couldn't help but envy. And neither of them knew it. But as she walked away from him, Irma snuck a look over her shoulder at the boy who was turning out to be not so quiet after all.

**SOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGESOMETHINGSTRANGE**

The Queen of Meridian gazed out at her kingdom, letting her straw-blonde hair fan out behind her in a gentle breeze. The rebel leader stood amid Candracar's Congregation, a plain white flower in a sea of magic. The Oracle gazed at both of them, and then upon the tear-streaked face of a young guardian. He wanted to reach out to all of them, to help them to understand their sadness. But the Oracle was not to intervene…too much. So he did the next best thing. And those of the other worlds heard the guardian's words, words that made all of their hearts ache for life before magic.

"Only you could undo me…even if you didn't mean to…"

**All right, not exactly my best chapter ever. I apologize for the lack of Wicked stuff in this chapter. Thought I'd throw in some more Cornelia/Caleb angsty romance, a little Taranee/Nigel on the side, and a little Elyon, too. I PROMISE that next chapter will definitely get the story underway. I just thought Irma & Joel needed some more interaction before next chapter. There's a lot of action going down next chapter, so if you want it up, I'll need 43 reviews. Thanks for bearing with me these past few weeks guys! You're the best!**


	8. Hearts Drop In A Tearful Whirl

**Hey everybody! Wow, I didn't expect all the reviews to come in in one day, but thanks for the awesome feedback! Thanks for bearing with me as well. Thanks to topazchick08, Elementalflame, dittogrrl, irma rokz, JayxKay, harryrulesmyworld and Valinor575 for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.**

Chapter 8

Hearts Drop in a Tearful Whirl

The skritch-skratch of pencil upon paper could lull Hay Lin to sleep, the strange melody set as the soundtrack of her life. She let the sharpened point glide over the paper, shading a black sphere into the center of an eye. The air girl looked up, coveting from afar the soulful eyes she was so vainly trying to capture on a piece of paper. _I'm starting to wonder if a portrait is such a good icebreaker after all, _she thought, letting her pencil stray down to sketch the shy smile that Eric Lyndon never failed to melt her with. She looked up again, ready to try those eyes again, but he was no longer at the front of the auditorium, singing along to Matt's random guitar chords. _Now where did you go? _she asked the boy who couldn't hear her, her eyes swiveling around the room.

"My eyes are a little lighter. Maybe you could see them better from this angle."

Hay Lin's head snapped around. Eric stood behind her, gaze dipping over her shoulder to look upon her drawing. He smiled at the blush creeping into her face, leaning in so that she could see his eyes. He was right. They _were_ lighter, twinkling like the falling stars they'd stood under together the very day they'd met. Hay Lin wanted desperately to move, not to sit there like she was, held by Eric's inviting stare.

"I…wasn't done yet…" Hay Lin stammered, wishing she could simply run from him rather than try to will him into love with her.

"Can I see it when it's done?"

Hay Lin was panicking. "Um…hey look! The bubble machine's here!" And she took off, running away from a simple YES that her voice wasn't willing to speak. Eric turned back from looking where Hay Lin's finger pointed him, sighing as he looked at her now empty seat. But before he got up to take the stage, a piece of paper on the floor caught his eye. He picked up the drawing of himself, smiling at one word written in Hay Lin's curvy handwriting:

Yes.

**HEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRL**

Uriah Dunn was not a happy camper…er, actor. His eyes, sharpened as a hawk's, peered out from behind the curtains, sweeping over the happy-go-lucky chaos that was rehearsal from his backstage darkness. He ran a hand through his rough copper hair, wondering why he wasn't out there with everybody else, then reminding himself that he wasn't with everybody else because…well, because he was nothing like everybody else. The bully leaned back against the wall, humming softly to himself the tune that he wished he could be singing on opening night instead of Matt Olsen, Sheffield's resident pretty boy. The golden guy, the girl-getter. Uriah sighed, letting his gaze finally rest upon his former friend, who chased Taranee Cook around the stage, finally catching her in an embrace. _Love, _he thought bitterly. _Maybe I should be glad I'm not like them…_

But no matter how sincere he made his inner voice, he couldn't deny the twinge of loneliness, however faint it was.

**HEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRL**

The Oracle of Candracar wasn't supposed to be big on love, or advice, for that matter. However, when a rebel leader who's been through Phobos and beyond came to you, head bowed to hide his aching eyes, not even the Oracle could help but offer him an ear to listen. The former murmurer proved his feelings right then, pouring his confusion out to Candracar's ringleader. Finally, the Oracle spoke out as Caleb asked him, "Is there any way that I can see her?"

"As a matter of fact," the Oracle began to answer, waving his hand in front of him, "you can." And Caleb could only watch in fascination as the Oracle took them to Earth without ever leaving the other world. The rebel leader sat and watched through the clouds as a head of blonde hair bobbed up the street to Sheffield, a figure with wavy brown locks following close behind.

**HEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRL**

Cornelia swept through the auditorium doors graceful as ever, leaving it to almost slam on Irma as she took her place among the ensemble. No one would know that only hours ago, her eyes had spewed tears like no tomorrow over a boy she loved so much, he was all that could reduce her to her six thirty in the morning state.

Irma walked in behind her, the tiniest bit happy that her friend had reverted to being herself again. The Cornelia she'd been with earlier…the tearful, breaking, fallen Cornelia…it scared Irma to think that a mere boy could reduce her strong-willed friend to what she'd been. Then again, he was no mere boy…he was her true love. _Is that how it's going to be if I pass this test? Am I going to be powerful again, only to have my happiness ripped away by the unhappiness that "true" love brings with it? _

She didn't have time to think about it. Paul's flaming head of hair flashed before her eyes as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her half-awake form over to the makeup department in the corner.

"Okay honey, no offense, but if we're going to transform you into the living asparagus before Christmas, we need all the practice time the world's willing to give us."

"Love you too," Irma muttered, her gaze wandering from Paul to the stage, where Cornelia's operatic voice was proclaiming how only goodness knew that wicked die alone. She could feel green makeup gracing her skin, she could hear Paul talking to himself, but she only had ears for the music. Even when Paul told her that he was finished, she didn't look in the mirror he held up to her. She watched as the crowd onstage scattered as the song came to an end, Cornelia floating gracefully down the stairs…and knocking not-so-gracefully into a boy, a boy with shaggy blonde hair and golden stubble…

Joel held out his hand as he apologized to Cornelia over and over, helping her to her feet as the pair tried to cover their own embarrassment. She took his hand and rose to meet him, smiling as he talked with her, her already radiant face glowing as she laughed at a funny that no one else heard. And in a corner of the auditorium, a green face watched them. If you didn't know her, you'd think she was the tiniest bit jealous. And if you did know her, you'd think she was a little jealous too.

**Hope you guys liked it! Sorry if it's not as long as you hoped, that's just where I envisioned the chapter ending. I'll need at _least _52 reviews before I post chapter 9.**


	9. Eleka Not Him

**Hey everybody! Thank you all SO much for your patience! Thanks to topazchick08, harryrulesmyworld, Majesty of Dark Water, Silver-Arrow, Celestial Secrets, felinefairy100, babywhale512 and Sokai for reviewing. Here's Chapter 9!**

**Disclaimer: Let me check…nope, still don't own them.**

Chapter 9

Eleka _Not Him_

The applauding ensemble was music to Cornelia's ears as she nearly skipped down the stage's stairs. The earth goddess closed her eyes, relishing the roars of the students. She couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy as she imagined her popularity as one of those test-your-strength games, the little metal square now soaring through the roof and higher until she couldn't see it anymore. But the feeling couldn't replace the tingle she felt in Caleb's arms, the rush as she charged into battle, the even bigger rush knowing he was fighting beside her, the comfort of his lasting kiss…and yet, Cornelia decided, it was good enough for now.

But despite her inner turmoil, Cornelia Hale still had no excuse for not opening her eyes in time to see the dazed young songwriter sidling across her path…and hear his groan of discomfort as she ran right into him.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she spluttered, her euphoria shattered as she tried to pick herself up from the floor.

"The fault's mine," he replied, gently taking her hand and lifting her effortlessly to her feet. "Surely the Good Witch of the North herself has some forgiveness saved up for me?"

Cornelia let him hear her trademark girlish giggle, feeling her face light up from the hold she had on his attention span. "Of course," she said. "Just let me grab my wand and I'll see if it has a tap or two for you."

"After you," Joel smiled, following Cornelia to the props department and trying not to laugh out of wonderment as she started asking him if her shining wand needed another box of sparkles.

**ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_**

"Hel-_lo, _Earth to Irmy! Wardrobe needs you to beam yourself down from the mother ship…like, _today…_Irma…IRMA!"

The newly green girl tore her gaze away from the pair of blondes gathered around the prop box to face a very confused Paul.

"Sorry," she said. "Spaced out there for a minute."

"Um, no kidding," he said, shoving stage makeup into random drawers and running a comb through Irma's unbrushed brown waves of hair. "Who would've thought you'd be jealous over Joel."

"_What?_" Irma said, eyes widening, and not from her morning coffee buzz. "Paul Michael Nelson, please go take some matchmaking lessons. Your friend's nice, but do you _really _think he could handle _the," _she paused for a minute, flipping her hair flirtily over her shoulder, "Irma Lair?"

"You know," Paul laughed, leading her over to the wardrobe department, "that big old brick wall you've built around yourself to keep Martin out doesn't mean someone like him couldn't get in." He held a midnight gown against her, taking in the effect for a minute or two. "Jealousy could slip in there, too," he added, laying the gown across her waiting hands.

_You know what? _she thought as she trudged to the dressing rooms. _You're right, Paul. I _AM _jealous. Jealous that once again, Cornelia The Goddess" Hale has another boy snagged in her web of charm…while my little web's getting tired of tangling the same old sweet schmuck, over and over and over again._

**ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_**

Joel Phoenix loved long car rides. In fact, the only reason he didn't take the bus with the band to school was so he could belt out Broadway at the top of his voice with no one around to hear it. But now, car rides were more…depressing, uncomfortable, downright haunting, to name a few. He covered the miles in silence, the wail of sirens screaming in his head, his drowned begging for them to stop resounding for only him to hear. It was a terrible chorus, one that didn't want to let him go until he faced up to reality. He sighed, pulling into a parking space and quietly opening the car door. There were just some songs you could never sing again. And when Joel heard those sirens scream, he'd never wanted to sing along again.

**ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_ ELEKA_NOTHIM_ELEKA_NOTHIM_**

"Was that Eric that just walked out of here?"

Will's question reached Hay Lin's ears over the din of the Silver Dragon's lunch rush, turning around to see the whole gang try to pile through the front door at once. The restaurant and house above it had been rebuilt after the flood damage and were up and running faster than ever. Hay Lin guessed the people of Heatherfield couldn't do without their dim sum for long.

"Yes," she answered, plopping a tray of bowls down in front of the waiters and hanging up her apron for the hour.

"And why was Eric here?" Taranee probed, breaking open the fortune cookie Cornelia had handed her. "Unless these need fixing," she said, tapping her glasses, "I thought I saw you two coming down from upstairs."

Hay Lin knew she was beginning to blush. "I was just asking him about a drawing, that's all," she murmured, turning away to grab another bowl of rice.

Cornelia opened her mouth to counteract her, like she always did Irma, but a throb of Will's hand and the Heart's not-so-secret emergence drowned whatever words came out of her mouth. The girls immediately crowded into a circle, shielding the jewel from the prying eyes of the ten nosy parkers that were bound to be chowing on their orange chicken only two tables away.

"Will!" the Earth girl hissed to her leader. "What is going on? You sure have a lousy timer on that thing."

"Cut it out, Cornelia!" Will snapped back. "You think I _like_ having this little ball of energy popping out whenever it feels the need for fresh air?" Cornelia rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else, simply waited for a status report from the redhead sitting next to her.

Will peered intently into the sphere, looking past the tendrils of pure fog for a deeper vision, one that was playing hide-and-seek until the leader could yell "Found you!"

She reached out to the jewel; let her being ask it to clear away the blur. Finally, her face relaxed, only to tense as she realized just what it was revealing to her.

"Will?" Taranee said, cautious, her eyebrows knitting together with worry. "Will? What's it showing you?"

Will inhaled sharply before looking up to face her team. "Remember how the Oracle destroyed the Veil? And how he took the portals with it?" The girls nodded at the obvious. "Well…some of the creatures of Meridian that had crossed over with Vathek, way back when he still worked for Phobos, they're still here. They never went back to Meridian." She stopped, letting the information sink in. "They're still hiding out in the bookstore. If the Heart's sounding off a warning bell now, then they must be planning on coming out of hiding. We need to get them back to Meridian," she finished, curling her fist around the orb to make it disappear. "We need to get them up to Candracar."

The four girls nodded. "We'll go now, then," Will decided. "We need to get to them as quickly as we can. Who knows what kind of fight they'll put up." A flicker of uncertainty passed over them at those words, but that was all it was, a flicker. The five of them rose up, abandoning their food, but before Irma could follow the others outside, Will held out an arm to bar her path.

"Will, what are you doing? We have to go. Like you said, who knows how long this is going to take?" Irma quoted as tried to shove her friend's arm away. But her leader wouldn't budge, no matter hard Irma pushed her. "Will, seriously, let's go already."

"Irma…" Will stared at her with her deep brown eyes, trying to send a message with them, but telepathy just hadn't been her thing.

"Oh boy, long, hard, dramatic pause. I don't like where this going," Irma said, trying to lighten her own bad situation rather than the other way around for once.

"Listen, Irma, I just…I just can't let you come, part of this team or not. You have no powers now. Until you get them back…" Will let her sentence trail, leaving Irma to piece it all together.

"Just because I can't work a wave like the best of them anymore doesn't mean I'm complete deadweight," Irma shot back, staring her leader down with artificially blue but beautiful eyes.

"I just can't have you getting hurt, Irma. Please, get it though your head that it's on _my _head if you get hurt. I don't need you already down and out more than you already are!"

Irma gritted her teeth inside closed lips. Will's words hurt her, pierced the bold that was her character until it was a balloon that wouldn't float any longer. "I'm a big girl, Will," Irma said, trying to keep from sounding dramatic as she failed to disguise her hurt with sarcasm. "I don't need some babysitter telling me that magic's the only strength I've ever had."

"Well right now," Will said, glaring at Irma just as fiercely as the ex-water girl was at her, "I can't say that's wrong." She pushed the door to the Silver Dragon open, looking back just one more time before she joined her teammates. "I can't save you and the world at the same time," she said. "Just…just stay safe."

Irma watched her friends retreat into the blanket of sunshine that covered the day. No matter how bright it was, though, it might as well have been pouring for Irma. Not that she would've minded, of course. Steeling herself against the prickling tear that hung around the corner of her eye, she threw open the door and slowly walked where her friends had not moments before. _So they're going to the bookstore… _Irma thought, looking out over the expanse of Heatherfield as she glimpsed a flaming mop of hair in the distance. _Good to know._

**Hope you guys liked it! For those of you who were confused about the mention of the Silver Dragon flooding, please refer to the first story in this series, BFF? It's mentioned in there. Again, TERRIBLY sorry for keeping you guys waiting, but this summer has left me with next to no update time. I promise my next one will be quicker. But if you want to see it, I need reviews! How about…72 of them & I'll update? Okay then! You know what to do!**


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